Splash-retarding vessels



pri Z3, 1968 W MARKS ET A1.

lSPLASH'HETRDING VESSELS Filed June 29, 1966 INVENTORS Marks y@www LE Jar/m7 A C .Mc/ Hf y United States Patent O 3,379,338 SPLASH-RETARDING VESSELS Wilbur Marks, Deer Park, NY., and Gerard L. E. Jarlan,

Versailles, France, assgnors to Uceanics, Inc., Plain- View, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 29, 1966, Ser. No. 561,520 1 Claim. (Cl. Mtl-90.4)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A splash-retarding vessel for drinking or the like in which an internal baille is mounted in the principal chamber, the batlle taking the form of an upstanding, thickwalled tubular member coaxially arranged in the chamber spaced `from the walls to dellne a toroidal turbulence chamber and pierced by an array of spaced holes through which liquid flows to dissipate energy by viscous friction.

This invention relates to splash-retarding drinking and pouring vessels, such as cups and pitchers, which are particularly adapted to be used in environments in which there is a high level of vibration or movement due to rough or careless handling.

Cup designs have been proposed in the past for minis mizing spilling which occurs when the cup is held or when it is used in an environment subject to vibration or shaking, such as a train, plane, ship or automobile. Typical of such devices is a cup in which transverse or diametrically disposed batlles are inserted within the cup. Such devices are particularly sensitive to their orientation in relation to the direction of excitation. For example, if a pair of crossed diametrical battles are used within a cup, the 'batlling is effective for short-period excitations when the, direction of excitation is perpendicular to the plane of one of the baflles. On the other hand, when the direction of excitation is at an angle, say, 45, to each of the crossed battles, not only is the battling effect substantially diminished ybut greater spillage can occur than in the same vessel without a baille.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved internal baille for drinking cups which reduces spillage under a wide variety of lateral vibrations or motions and which is substantially indifferent to the direction of lateral motion.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a drinking cup having an outer shell which can be of conventional geometry and, disposed therein and spaced from the inner walls, a generally cylindrical internal baille defining an inner chamber which is connected to the outer area by a myriad of holes. Under the intlucnce of lateral motion such, for example, as a rapidly decelerating vehicle, an excitation in the liquid occurs which is manifested as wave motion. The waves impinge on the perforated inner cylindrical member, with part of the energy being retlected by the solid portion of the wall and part transmitted through the holes. In passing through the holes, the wave potential energy is converted to kinetic energy in the form of a jet which is dissipated partially by viscous friction in the holes and partially by turbulent mixing in the space between the inner liner and the cup. The energy reflected by the solid portion of the wall tends to be dissipated by turbulent mixing and the process continues bi-directionally until the energy is fully dissipated.

The above and other features of the present invention will be more readily understood, having yreference to the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a top view of a drinking cup embodying the present invention; and

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FIGURE 2 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a drinking cup 10 which can, if desired, include a handle 11, and within which is mounted a substantially cylindrical internal baille 12 allixed to the cup bottom 13. The cylindrical baille is formed with a myriad of holes 14 disposed more or less uniformly throughout its height and circumference. The upper edge 15 of the baille terminates at a point slightly below the upper edge 16 of the outer wall of the cup 10. The position of the upper edge 15 of the cylindrical inner member 12 is preferably located at the level to which the cup is normally illled, although in any event it should be suillciently below the top of the cup so as not to interfere with drinking or pouring, as the case may be. The outer wall 17 of the tubular or cylindrical baille 12 is spaced radially inwardly from the inner surface 18 of the wall of the cup to dene a turbulence chamber 19 of generally toroidal shape.

When the cup is subjected to lateral motion, in the form of either shortor long-period excitation, the energy of the wave action which normally is set up across the diameter of the cup is dissipated by both the solid wall portion and the holes in the baflle, The energy of the liquid passing through the holes in jet form is converted to kinetic energy and a general turbulence occurs on both sides of the baille 12. This action occurs both in the original direction of the wave motion and in the reverse direction when what remains of the wave is reflected from the inner wall of the cup.

For optimum efficiency of energy dissipation, it is preferred in accordance with the invention that certain dimensions and ratios be followed. The thickness of the baille 12, the diameter of the holes 14, the distance between the outer wall of the baille and the inner wall of the cup, and the ratio of the perforated-to-unperforated areas of the baille, represent typical parameters which should be coordinated as a function of the different modes of motion to which the cup is to be subjected.

In one working embodiment of the invention as applied to a conventional drinking cup, a spacing of approximately 0.5 inch between the inner wall of the cup and the outer wall of the baille was used, together with hole diameters of 0.187 inch with the thickness of the baille being approximately the same as the diameter of the holes. A ratio of perforated-to-unperforated area in the baille was established at 0.40 inch. While the geometry of the baille should preferably conform to the internal geometry of the cup, effective results can be obtained using a cup in which the walls diverge upwardly and the internal baille is cylindrical. In such case, however, it is preferred that the distance, radially speaking, between the outer Wall of the baille and the inner wall of the cup be optimized in the upper area of the baille rather than the bottom.

It will lbe understood that the perforations or holes 14 need not be circular and that their arrangement can be random, even, or in a pattern, although the distribution should be more or less uniform in all cases starting near the top and extending to a point near the bottom. If the perforations do not extend all the way to the bottom, a special row of holes or drains may be provided at that point so that liquid is not retained within the baille, It will be understood that the liner can be made of the same material as the cup and formed integrally therewith, or it can be formed of another material. Also it can `be formed separately and attached by suitable means such as heat-fusing, adhesive-bonding or by a mechanical coupling to the 'bottom of the cup, or it can be held in place yby suitable members extending to the side.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with particular reference to a drinking cup, it will be understood that it can be applied to other vessels or containers, such as pitchers. The invention should not therefore be regarded as limited except as defined by the following claim.

We claim:

1. A splash-retarding vessel for drinking, pouring and the like, comprising imperforate cylindrical wall means defining a principal chamber having an open top defined by a pouring and drinking lip, and baille means comprising a thick-walled cylindrical member disposed substantially coaxially within the principal chamber spaced radially inwardly from the interior wall thereof and terminating at its upper end at a point spaced axially below the lip of the principal chamber to define a substantially toroidal turbulence chamber, said baille having a plurality of openings formed therein connecting the interior of the cylindrical `baffle member with the turbulence chamber, said openings being arrayed both girthwise and along the length of the cylindrical baille and disposed substantially uniformly throughout the area thereof, said openings being circular and having a diameter substantially equal to the thickness of the wall of the cylindrical baille member, said cylindrical baille member being spaced from the interior Wall of the principal chamber by a distance of approximately 0.40 to 0.60 inch, the ratio of the total area of openings in the cylindrical baille member to the area not having openings being approximately 0.30' to 0.50, said turbulence chamber and the interior of the cylindrical `baffle member together constituting the useful volume of the vessel, whereby Wave action of liquid in the vessel generated by lateral acceleration and deceleration forces is damped and dissipated by bi-directional flow through said openings.,

References Cited` UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,524 10/ 1941 Vigurs 222-564 2,527,813 10/1950 Hansen 222-189 3,123,258 3/1964 Schiltz 222-2l5 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,009 3/ 1939 Great Britain.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner. 

